May 16, 2013

The Bruins continued to find a way to win in their opener against the Rangers, but how many more D-men can they lose before it falls apart?; and the Sharks outplayed the Kings, but lost in crushing fashion to fall behind 2-0 in the series.
GAME 1: BOSTON 3, RANGERS 2 (OT) – BRUINS LEAD 1-0
Why Boston won: Because whether it’s chess or pond hockey, the Bruins can play it any way you want, and they beat you doing it.

The THN/Yahoo! Awards roll out continues with Patrick Kane and Antti Niemi named the best of the skills competition.
PAVEL BURE AWARD/BEST SHOOTOUT SHOOTER: PATRICK KANE
By Matt Larkin
Was Patrick Kane perfect in shootouts? No, and some guys were, including the Blues’ Andy McDonald, who went 4-for-4 in 2012-13.

On this installment of the THN Puck Panel, our experts examine the early favorites for playoff MVP. Host Edward Fraser, is joined by writers Ryan Kennedy and Ken Campbell to discuss the merits of several MVP candidates that emerged in Round 1.
On this installment of the THN Puck Panel, our experts examine the early favorites for the Conn Smythe Trophy.
Host Edward Fraser, is joined by writers Ryan Kennedy and Ken Campbell to discuss the merits of several MVP candidates that emerged in Round 1.

May 15, 2013

It was the younger, deeper Blackhawks who beat the Red Wings at their own game in the series opener. What can Detroit do to bounce back?
GAME 1: CHICAGO 4, DETROIT 1 – BLACKHAWKS LEAD 1-0
Why Chicago won: The Blackhawks carpet-bombed the Red Wings, putting 42 shots on net and controlling large portions of the game.

May 14, 2013

After being given a scare by the Islanders, Pittsburgh jumped at Ottawa early in their second round series with a 4-1 win; Jonathan Quick stands tall to hold off a late San Jose comeback.
GAME 1: PITTSBURGH 4, OTTAWA 1 – PENGUINS LEAD 1-0
Why Pittsburgh won: The Pens might have been nervous after goalie Tomas Vokoun allowed a weak goal that tied the score early in the first.

Ken Campbell and Jason Kay are joined by TSN’s Darren Dreger to discuss the Leafs loss and look ahead to Round 2.
From the TD Garden in Boston THN's Ken Campbell and Jason Kay are joined by TSN’s Darren Dreger to discuss…
• the historic Game 7…
• what the Maple Leafs can take away from the loss…
• and look ahead to Boston’s second round series with the New York Rangers.

From the TD Garden in Boston THN's Ken Campbell and Jason Kay are joined by CBC Sports’ Tim Wharnsby to discuss, why the Penguins may not be able to handle the resilient Senators, why goaltending could be the deciding factor in the two series that drop the puck Tuesday, San Jose’s stellar home record and the guys offer their predictions for all four second round matchups.
From the TD Garden in Boston THN's Ken Campbell and Jason Kay are joined by CBC Sports’ Tim Wharnsby to discuss…
• why the Penguins may not be able to handle the resilient Senators…
• why goaltending could be the deciding factor in the two series that drop the puck Tuesday…
• San Jose’s stellar home record…
• and the guys offer their predictions for all four second round matchups.

We continue rolling out the THN/Yahoo! NHL awards by announcing Sergei Bobrovsky, Ryan Suter and Francois Beauchemin as winners in today's categories.
PATRICK ROY AWARD/BEST GOALIE: SERGEI BOBROVSKY
By Ryan Kennedy
When the Columbus Blue Jackets visited the Chicago Blackhawks in late February, they came upon the home team in the midst of an historical streak, one that saw the Hawks go 24 straight games from the start of the season without losing in regulation.

From the TD Garden in Boston, THN's Ken Campbell and Jason Kay are joined by CBC Sports’ Tim Wharnsby to discuss the why the Penguins may not be able to handle the resilient Senators, why goaltending could be the deciding factor in the two series, San Jose’s stellar home record and their predictions.
From the TD Garden in Boston, THN's Ken Campbell and Jason Kay are joined by CBC Sports’ Tim Wharnsby to discuss…
• the why the Penguins may not be able to handle the resilient Senators…
• why goaltending could be the deciding factor in the two series that drop the puck Tuesday
• San Jose’s stellar home record
• and their predictions for all four second round matchups.

May 13, 2013

The first round did not disappoint thrill-seekers as it was full of overtimes, last-minute comebacks and epic collapses. But while there were a couple of upsets - as there are every first round - the top two seeds in the league and heavy Cup favorites are still alive. So we're ready to move right on to Round 2 Tuesday night and look ahead by comparing teams in each of the four matchups
The first round did not disappoint thrill-seekers as it was full of overtimes, last-minute comebacks and epic collapses. But while there were a couple of upsets - as there are every first round - the top two seeds in the league and heavy Cup favorites are still alive.

The Bruins pulled off a miraculous comeback to knock off the Maple Leafs in overtime; New York found its offense again to easily dismiss the Capitals in Game 7.
GAME 7: BOSTON 5 at TORONTO 4 (OT) – BRUINS WIN SERIES 4-3
Why Boston won: When most of your roster is just two years removed from a Stanley Cup and is playing its sixth Game 7 in the last three seasons, you simply don’t flinch in the face of adversity the way a young, inexperienced team does - and Boston proved that Monday night.